Images posted to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) website provide a glimpse of two future Buick models. This isn’t the first time this has happened. New vehicles launched in China pass through MIIT for inspection, including taking photos that are sometimes published online even before the automaker reveals the car.
One of them is the redesigned Encore GX. The photos show the crossover with a radical new front-end design inspired by the Electra-X EV concept. This model features a new, streamlined branding badge located between the sleek daytime running lights. It’s common for light units to be tucked inside faux intakes, a growing styling trend among automakers. It seems that Buick spent most of its time updating the front as the rear of the GX looks unchanged from the current car.
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Another vehicle published on MIIT’s website is a new crossover called the Electra E5. It also has a design inspired by the Electra-X Concept, sharing motifs with the Encore GX. The E5 features sleek DRLs that sit above a separate headlamp unit, just like the Encore. However, the E5 differentiates itself and reveals its electric powertrain with a closed grille. EVs also have a thick floor because of the battery. Looks like a mid-size model with a boxier rear design.
It’s unclear whether the Electra E5 revealed in China is intended for the US or when it could arrive. General Motors filed nine new trademark applications late last month for Buick Electric E1 to Electra E9. The automaker plans to launch its first EV in 2024, with plans to offer only electric vehicles by 2030. The first will be about the size of a Cadillac Lyriq and use GM’s Ultium platform.
The Buick Encore GX is launching in 2020 for the US and other markets. The company’s consumer website is already advertising the current car as a 2023 offering, meaning the earliest the redesigned model can arrive is 2024. Expect a debut for the new GX soon. It’s a mystery when we’ll see an E5 debut, but CES is just around the corner.
